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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stem — to come from
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — to confront
  21. track — a song
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com